Sunset Bay State Park is a state park in Coos County, Oregon. The nearest town is Barview, about 5.3 km (3.3 mi) away (Sunset Bay State Park lies WSW of town).
Sunset Bay State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. Administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, it is about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) south of Cape Arago Lighthouse and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) outside the town of Charleston on Coos Bay. The park offers a crescent shaped beach, tide pools, hiking trails and a year-round campground. The park is one of three along the Cape Arago Highway, which runs along the Pacific Ocean west of U.S. Route 101. Sunset Bay State Park is about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Shore Acres State Park and about 2 miles (3 km) north of Cape Arago State Park. A hiking trail links Sunset Bay to Shore Acres. Land for the park was acquired in stages through 1984. Coos County donated the original tract to the state in 1948. In 1954, Ralph Barker donated a parcel with a water supply. The Bureau of Land Management later added tracts through a grant to...From the Wikipedia article “Sunset Bay State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunset Bay State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 122° ESE | 4:45 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 59m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Sunset Bay State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:06 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 3:09 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:51 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 61 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 62 |
| Low °F | 31 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 9.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this state park
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Sunset Bay State Park, closest first.
Beach
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horsfall Beach15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Wild Mare Horse Camp15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Bluebill Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Horsfall Sand Camping15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Horsfall 16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sunset Bay State Park?
What time is golden hour at Sunset Bay State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sunset Bay State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunset Bay State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunset Bay State Park?
How far is Sunset Bay State Park from Barview?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.